CoolhandThe games · Coolhand Poker
Guts
Two cards and one call, in or out. The best hand in takes the pool, every other player who stayed refills it, and if nobody is in it carries over.
18+ · Nothing to win but the hand.
- Players
- 2 to 8
- Family
- Home Games
- App
- Coolhand Poker · iOS and Android, soon
How it goes
Everyone puts in an entry, a small stake into the pool, and takes two cards. There are no rounds of offers. Instead everyone makes one call at the same moment, sealed so nobody can wait and see what the others do: in or out. Out costs nothing more. Among the players who went in, the best two cards take the pool: a pair beats any two unmatched cards, and otherwise the higher card wins. Every other player who went in puts a whole pool's worth into the next round. If nobody goes in, the pool stays and grows for the next round. Table rules can change this: three cards each, calling in turn instead of sealed, or only the worst hand paying.
A good hand
A hand you know the price of. Staying in costs a whole pool when you lose, so a hand goes in when it beats most of the table most of the time. Any pair does that. A single high card does it only when it stands up against the number of players still to call, and the more of them there are, the higher that card needs to be.
The usual mistake
Going in on a middling card because the pool is big. The bigger the pool, the more the loser pays, so a large pool is a reason for care, not courage. A hand that was an even chance against one player is a long shot against a full table, and the long shot pays for everyone's next round.
Played differently where you are?
Card games change from table to table, and we researched some of these games instead of playing them. If Guts goes differently where you play it, tell us. That's one of the things the closed beta is for.
The closed beta is by invitation. How to ask to join.